The term "bathing enclosure" encompasses a wide variety of types of plumbing fixtures such as bathtubs, showers, whirlpools, spas, saunas, and environmental enclosures. In many modern designs these bathing enclosures are molded from fiberglass or other materials in one-piece. This yields significant production efficiencies and minimizes installation costs.
A disadvantage of one-piece units is their size. There sometimes is not sufficient space to introduce such units into existing buildings. This is a particular problem when it is desired to remodel a bathroom in an old building where the size of the doorways and halls are already fixed. Removing building walls and widening doorways to remodel a bathroom can significantly increase the cost of the project.
Some bathing enclosures are designed so as to be suitable to be cast as a single piece and then cut into two or more pieces. The pieces are then transported through small entranceways and reassembled at installation sites.
One such "knock down" type bathing enclosure is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,380. That enclosure has a horizontally extending joining strip attached to the outside of the enclosure. The strip adheres to the enclosure outer wall and has an outer tubular bulge. The wall (with joining strip thereon) is cut into two pieces along a horizontal plane that also passes through the tubular bulge. A plurality of locator lugs are then inserted into an internal slot formed in the bulge. Guided into proper alignment by the lugs, the cut portions are then fastened together using clamps.
The 4,901,380 system previously had the horizontally extending joining strips extend around corners of the enclosure. However, as corners on such enclosures became more numerous and more closely spaced (e.g. a corner at the intersection of the side wall with a small frontal frame for the tub opening; a corner near a soap dish recess), use of this system became more difficult.
Thus, it can be seen that a need exists for an improved knock down type bathing enclosure.